Determinants of reporting or failing to report a crime to Police: A case study of Githurai 45, Nairobi

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Abstract

Crime has become a worldwide concern. A number of studies carried out show that crime is on
the increase and new methods of committing crime are developing as well. One way of fighting
crime is by reporting the crimes to the authorities. This study sought to establish motivations for
reporting or failing to report crime to the police. It uses economic, sociological and
psychological perspectives to establish why people report or fail to report crime to the police.
The study utilized self-administered questionnaires to a convenient sample of 120 as the main
respondents. The data was collected through the use of a structured questionnaire which was
analyzed through descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages, standard deviation and
frequencies. The findings were presented in form of bar graphs, charts and tables. The study
found that most people do not report crimes to the police. The major reasons being; lack of faith
in the police, lack of evidence and reporting being viewed as a long and tiring process. For the
few who reported they were motivated by the need for justice and the need to recover property.
The study also found that more males reported crime to the police as compared to females, and
older people reported crime as compared to younger people. Robbery with violence, assault and
theft were the most reported victimizations. The study recommends the police to be more
vigilant to prevent citizens from taking matters in their own hands and also to be friendlier to
encourage all genders and age groups to report crimes. The government is also recommended to
create more awareness on citizens by educating them on the importance of reporting crime.